Workers are preparing to start work on the Interstate 44 and Interstate 40 rehabilitation project from west Oklahoma City and Canadian County.
Oklahoma Department of Transportation Director Tim Gatz told KOCO 5 that the bridges on the interstates are old and need to be updated.
ODOT brought out lifts and workers Monday morning for bridge work near the Amarillo junction.
Their goal is to prepare the area for major changes that won’t come until around 2031.
“It’s one of the old-style interchanges that worked really well when it was in the middle of a pasture, but it’s not out in the middle of a pasture anymore,” Gatz said to KOCO 5.
Right now, ODOT is in the design phase for an interchange reconstruction project, but they say this will keep drivers safe in the meantime.
Traffic problems could arise starting in March when crews move up to the highway and start to close lanes. Gatz said closures will happen at night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday to try and keep lanes open for the daytime rush.
One of the first phases of the project should be finished in the fall, but new bridges are years away.
Source: KOCO 5 News, Yahoo News
